Twisted
by Kara Tezla
Summary: Basically my version of the new movie with quite a few more twists and turns. It's a lot better than it sounds! I promise! You'd have to read it to know what I mean, I guess...
1. Alex Englehorn

**Twisted **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kong, or any of the characters. Plain and Simple.**

**Quick Summary: My version of the newest movie with a couple twists.**

**Author's Note: This idea came to me in a dream, so if it turns sour, please don't hurt me. I took out the beginning, up until Carl takes Ann to the _Venture_. I hope you my readers aren't too mad! I couldn't find anyway to make it better, even though I watched it over and over! Hopefully all ya'll have seen the beginning... and know who all the characters are, because I'm not explaining it! **

Chapter One: Alex Englehorn.

Carl Denham led Ann Darrow to docks where their ship was waiting. "Is this the boat that's taking us?" She asked, motioning to a giant ship to their left.

"Um, no," Carl said with an uncertain look on his face. "This is it," he walked faster towards an old cargo boat that was weathered with age. He approached a young woman who stood by the boat talking to a man.

"Englehorn?" He asked hurriedly.

The woman turned to face Denham. Her youthful features were shadowed by an old sailor's hat that drooped over her face because of its size. Inquisitive brown eyes peered at them like at cat would its prey. "What is it, Carl?" She sighed; her voice had a disdainful tone to it, as if she had heard Denham's voice one to many times.

"We need to leave,"

The young woman looked at the ship, then back at Denham. "Now?"

"Yes, now," Carl hissed.

"I'm afraid that's not possible,"

"Why not?"

"We don't have permission to shove off until tomorrow."

"I'll give you another grand if we go tonight."

"Show me the money, Denham, and I'll consider it."

"Can I write you a check?"

"Carl--"

"Please, Alex, I beg you on my knees."

"Fine,"

"But can we talk about this later? We have an important guest with us." Carl turned and revealed the blonde-haired Ann to the woman.

Alex Englehorn smiled and walked up to her. "It's nice to meet you Miss...?"

"Ann Darrow,"

"Miss Ann Darrow, I am Captain Alexandra Englehorn, but you can call me Alex."

Carl waved a bit to get Preston's attention. "Preston, would you like to show Miss Darrow to her quarters?"

Preston ran over and grabbed the little bag that Ann had been carrying. "Yes, Mr. Denham,"

Alex watched as Preston led Ann up the ramp onto the boat, followed closely by Carl. She shook her head and spat; that man was such a liar that it wasn't even funny. "Okay, we're taking off!" She commanded. "Untie the ropes! Start the engines!" With one last look, she boarded the boat and made her way to the bow of the _Venture_.

"Captain!" Shouted Mr. Hayes, her right hand man.

"Yes?"

"What's happening?"

"We're taking off,"

"Why?"

Alex looked at Hayes with a look that said _isn't it obvious?_

"Oh, right,"

"Let's get this show on the road, shall we?" She asked as Hayes adjusted the speed. The steady pulsing of the engine pumps sped up as the pulled away from the dock and started out of the harbor.

/\K/\K/\K/\K/\K/\K/\K/\

Below deck, the famous playwright Jack Driscoll was struggling to get off of the _Venture_. He finally found the steps that lead to the deck and ran as fast as he could, but he was too late. Jack almost jumped, but looked down and saw how far he was from the shimmering water of the harbor and decided not to.

"I told you, Jack, there's no money in theater." Carl taunted from behind him.

"But I love it," Jack countered.

"If you had really loved it, you would have jumped."

**There's chapter one... I know it was boring, but it's gonna get better. Once we get to Skull Island, this storyline isn't going to follow the movie anymore. I needed something to start on, so tell me what you think about it. It was short compared to what I usually write, so you can also expect the chapters to get longer. Reviews are tasty treats for me! All opinions are welcome.**


	2. What Lies Within the Fog

**Twisted**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kong, or any of the characters. Plain and Simple.**

**Quick Summary: My version of the newest movie with a couple twists.**

**Author's Note: Okay, for this chapter I skipped a bit of it to the part where the _Venture_ enters the giant cloud of fog.**

Chapter Two: What Lies Within the Fog

"What is that?" Asked Alex, squinting through the window. "Hayes, turn out the light." She said, and the room was plunged into darkness. Outside, the air of the night became thick as the fog rolled over the ocean and enveloped the _Venture_.

"Alex?" Wondered Hayes. The young Englehorn raised her hand to silence him.

"Get me a depth reading," she demanded after moments of silence.

Hayes nodded and ran out the door. "We need a reading!" He called. A man ran out onto the deck and through the weight into the water.

"No bottom!" He called back.

Alex took a deep breath and turned the wheel. "Fifteen degrees east," she said calmly.

"What are you doing?" Exclaimed Hayes.

"Getting us out of this fog. Get me another reading,"

Hayes scowled and exited the door again. "Another reading!"

"Twenty-two fathoms!" Came the reply.

"Twenty degrees south," Alex said through gritted teeth.

"Rocks!" Shouted Jimmy from the crow's nest. "Rocks to starboard!"

"Twelve fathoms!" Said Hayes urgently, ducking back in the cabin.

Alex cursed and turned the wheel to her left. What was going on?

"Rocks to port! Rocks everywhere!" Screamed Jimmy. He was right too; rocks kept springing up in the path of the _Venture_, and soon, Alex would run out of room to turn her.

"Brace yourselves!" She cried just before the ship hit a giant rock. Alex herself didn't have time to grab something that was bolted down, so she was flung across the cabin. Soon, the _Venture_ had lodged itself on the rock. Hayes ran back into the cabin to see his captain partially slouched on the far wall.

"Alex!" He exclaimed, rushing over to her.

Alex looked up as Hayes crouched in front of her.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah," she answered, struggling to her feet. "I think so,"

"You have a cut." Hayes pointed out, motioning to her face. Alex's hand flew up, running over her cheek where her face had met the wall. When she drew it away, there was a little blood on her hand, but not enough to be worried about.

"What about everybody else?" She asked, following Hayes to the door.

"I think we're gonna survive, but we have to wait until high tide to get ourselves off this rock."

Alex looked around; her eyes falling on the peculiar shaped rock that the _Venture_ had crashed into. It almost looked like a giant head.

"Captain!" Came a shout from the crow's nest. Jimmy was coming down as fast as he could from the basket at the top.

"What is it, Jimmy?" Asked Hayes.

"Mr. Denham is going towards the island."

"That's impossible--"

"No, Hayes, look," Alex said, pointing at the small lifeboat that was making its way towards a cavern opening in the side of the cliff.

"Should we go after him?" He asked.

Alex looked at the dark-skinned man next to her. "Knowing Denham, he's bound to do something stupid."

"So, is that a yes?"

K/K/K/K/K/K/K/

By the time that Captain Englehorn and Hayes arrived at the spot where Carl Denham had brought his "crew", they found the natives ready to kill them. Alex took careful aim with her pistol and fired at who looked like the leader. The bullet, and the ones that followed it, all hit their target. It had also started to rain on their arrival to the native's small village.

"Seen enough, Denham?" She asked as Carl stood to his feet. The natives had gone running back into their crude stone buildings.

They got everyone back to the _Venture_ just in time for high tide.

"Anything that's not bolted down goes!" Shouted Alex over the roar of the waves and the pounding of the rain. She returned to the wheel house (if that's what it's called, if it has a different name, tell me, please) and removed her sailor's hat; the excess rain running off onto the floor. She took Hayes' place at the wheel.

There was a grinding sound as the ship pulled away from the head-shaped rock and into the open water again. The men outside cheered, but that cheer was cut short with an objection.

"Stop!" Yelled Jack Driscoll, running up towards her and Hayes. "Stop!"

"What is it?" Alex asked; turning to see the rain drenched man in the doorway.

"They've taken Ann!"

**Chapter Two Everybody! Thank you to my reviewer Makori. Makori, I have not played the game... unfortunately. And I might use your suggestions... who knows? I was actually already considering the whole "Hayes lives!" thing because he was cool, and I don't like to see Jimmy cry. But I'm going to make you wait to find out what happens. (laughs evilly) Until next time, my dears!**

**KARA**


	3. Go Save the Lovely Lady, Jimmy!

**Twisted**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kong, or any of the characters. Plain and Simple.**

**Quick Summary: My version of the newest movie with a couple twists.**

**Author's Note: This chapter is going to seem short, but the next chapter is going to be big, and if I had kept typing and finished the whole scene this chapter would have been 3,000 words easily, which is the length of a short story. I will update as soon as I can to make up for this! I promise!**

Chapter Three: Go Save the Lovely Lady, Jimmy!

Alex gritted her teeth; stupid natives--now they were going to see a side of Alex Englehorn that nobody had seen in a long time. She looked at Hayes, who sighed and walked down to the hold and to the gun cabinet. Alex walked out past Jack and into the rain. "Okay everybody! We're going back for the fair lady. See Hayes for a gun, and get those boats out into the water." She commanded; loose strands of hair fell down her face with the rain, soaking her from head to toe in a matter of minutes.

Most of the men were soon ready and had clamored into the lifeboats, which had surprisingly gotten a lot of use lately. The rest of the men loaded extra ammo and guns in the boats, and Alex caught a glimpse of Carl putting his camera equipment in one of them. She didn't stop him; he would hopefully learn his lesson someday or another, and if he actually planned on looking for Ann his camera would get smashed anyway.

Dropping the anchor of the _Venture_, she stepped out of the cabin. "Okay," Alex said, jumping into the nearest boat. "Get us to that island!"

In the distance, everyone could see the flickering lights of a giant fire lighting the small village though the downpour of the rain. The drumming that went along with it was almost intimidating, but with Jack leading them, the soldiers weren't discouraged.

They were too late, though, when they arrived at the giant door inside the wall. Ann Darrow had disappeared; just like the inhabitants of the village. The sun rose about an hour later, drying up the rain and bringing humidity and the smell of the ocean.

Alex could be found handing out extra ammunition and guns outside the door. "You have twenty-four hours," she said. "If you don't come back, we are leaving without you." As much as she would like to go with her men into the giant forests, Alex knew it was her duty to stay behind.

A young man nodded thanks as she handed him a gun; Jimmy. Hayes had seen it too. He yanked the gun out of Jimmy's hands.

"Mr. Hayes!" Jimmy protested, swiping at the gun.

"No, Jimmy. You stay here with the Captain; you're too young to handle a gun."

"You were younger than me when they gave _you _a gun!"

"I was in the army! I had a drill sergeant!" Hayes shouted.

Jimmy scowled and walked over behind Alex. The sailors walked into the large doors, with Hayes leading. She turned to Jimmy and pushed a gun in his hands.

He looked at her in amazement. "What...?"

Alex took out a hat and shoved it on his head so it went down almost past his ears. "Go, Jimmy,"

"Um... thanks, Captain," he said; his face suddenly split with a grin.

"Go save the lovely lady, Jimmy. Don't make me sorry I did this."

"I won't, ma'am," he nodded eagerly and ran after the other soldiers through the door.

Alex watched as the teenager disappeared; he was like a brother to her, and she was proud of that. "Okay!" Commanded Alex. "Back to the ship!" The remaining sailors took a lifeboat back to the _Venture_ where they stayed until dusk. It was then that she finally gave in to her instincts and went back ashore.

She was just in time too, because as soon as Alex arrived at the gates into the island, she was greeted by Bruce Baxter running at full speed across the bridge.

"Captain!" He shouted; almost stumbling down the steps followed by a few other men.

"Baxter! Where's everybody else?" She demanded with her hands on her hips.

He ran up to her completely out of breath. "Trouble!" He gasped, pointing back across the makeshift bridge into the thick forest.

"Where _exactly_, Baxter?"

Bruce took a couple of seconds to recover and start breathing regularly again. "I'll take you there, 'cause I'm tellin' you, they need as much help as they can get."

Alex nodded and motioned back to the other men behind her. "Get ready; we're going in." She announced, a smile slowly crossing her face.

**Like I said, I'm sorry this chapter is so short! As you might have already guessed, the next scene contains giant insects, and the plot of the story takes a totally different turn than what is in the movie. Don't miss out! Next: Oh Captain, my Captain! Alex Englehorn comes to the rescue! Review Darlings! I need at least ONE review to continue!**

**Until next time!**

**KARA**


	4. Enter the Giant Bugs

**Twisted**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kong, or any of the characters. Plain and Simple.**

**Quick Summary: My version of the newest movie with a couple twists.**

**Author's Note: Okay, I promised a long chapter! (.)**

Chapter Four: Enter the Giant Bugs

Meanwhile, the _Venture_ crew was busy hiking towards a giant log that stretched across the gaping abyss to their right. "I cannot believe that you did this to me, Jimmy." Sighed Hayes as they made their way towards the felled tree.

Jimmy smiled to himself. "I wanted to come, Mr. Hayes!" He said. He wasn't going to rat out the Captain to Hayes. Besides, she was the one who persuaded Hayes to let him stay on the _Venture _in the first place.

The remaining men started to cross the log after Hayes when they were stopped.

"Wait!" Hayes warned.

"What is it Mr. Hayes?" Asked Jimmy.

"I don't know. If something happens, Jimmy, I want you to run."

"I ain't no coward, Mr. Hayes. I ain't gonna run!"

"This isn't about being brave, Jimmy."

There was a sudden roar from the cave in front of them.

"Run!" Commanded Hayes, his gun spraying bursts of bullets into the cave. Another angry roar sounded along with the sound of ricocheting bullets. Both sounds, and their echoes, were drown out by the sound of crunching gravel as the beast approached the entrance.

Jimmy cried out as a giant, furry hand grabbed Hayes around the waist while he was fumbling for his pistol. Jack grabbed Jimmy as he ran to help Hayes.

"Mr. Hayes!" Jimmy shouted; shooting wildly at the giant ape.

"Run, Jimmy," Hayes gasped as he felt something in his body break.

Hayes was thrown across the canyon as the monkey became occupied with knocking the remaining men off the log. A couple of the sailors fell, along with Carl's camera. Finally, Kong seemed to be fed up with the dead tree and pushed it off the side of cliff.

The guys managed to hold on to the tree as it tumbled into the dark abyss, and some even found something else to grab onto. Eventually, the log became lodged between the walls of the canyon and the remainder of the men that were left on the log were thrown to the swampy ground; unconscious.

\K/\K/\K/\K/\K/\K/\K/

Alex Englehorn slashed through the thick foliage with a machete toward the sound of the distressed cries ahead. She growled as yet another giant fly landed on her exposed arm and bit into her shoulder. Smashing it with the flat edge of the machete, she watched as the insect dropped away and revealed another small wound the size of a dime. Now Alex regretted giving up her shirt to the man who was bleeding profusely from a rodent bite. The rodent had been at least the size of a dog. The guy probably had rabies now.

Her white tank top shirt was now spotted with blood from her own wounds, and the large sailor's hat was soaked with sweat from the past half hour of hiking through the forest.

"Please, Captain, can we stop?" Pleaded one of the men behind her. Alex turned around to see her own men sitting around and taking drinks. She wiped the sweaty hair out of her face and leaned against a nearby tree. The silence was unnerving.

Silence. Alex's eyes burst open. She plunged into the mass of vines and trees, no longer worrying about clearing a path for the ones behind her, or the bugs and animals. She could barely hear the sailors behind her calling for her to wait and come back.

When she burst out of the woods, Alex found herself on the edge of a cliff that dropped straight down for what seemed like eternity. Then she started to loose her balance. Alex's arms went into doing pinwheels as she struggled to regain what was lost to her.

"Captain!" Shouted a voice behind her. Suddenly, she was diving headfirst into the darkness, only to be yanked to a stop by a pain in her leg. Alex cried out; it felt like somebody was pulling off her leg, which was what she was afraid of. Slowly, she was pulled back up over the edge of the abyss. The men who had saved her laid her on her back.

Alex gasped; the pain in her leg was worse now that the shock of the fall had disappeared.

"Captain Englehorn! Are you alright?" Said her rescuer, who was leaning over her face. She could see the silhouette of a sailor's hat in the brightness of the sun.

"Who...?" She propped herself up on her elbows to get a better look. Alex winced at the pain that shot up and down her leg, then through her body.

"You don't recognize me, Alex?"

"Hayes?"

\K/\K/\K/\K/\K/\K/\K/

Jack woke up to darkness... and the sound of the uneven ticking of teeth. He jumped to his feet and groped for the bag that he had been carrying. Pulling out a flare, he threw it toward the direction of the clicking. He was unpleasantly surprised to see insects withdraw back into the darkness of the shadows.

"Carl!" He called; finally finding the stout director a couple of yards away. He crouched to check Jimmy's pulse when the young man's eyes flew open. It took him a couple seconds to realize what had just happened. Jimmy pushed himself into Jack's arms; sobbing uncontrollably.

The flare was wearing down, and Jack could see the bugs returning from their short vacation. "Jimmy," he warned. Cockroaches jumped out of nowhere, spiders drew themselves out of the walls, worms appeared in the mud, and various other bugs attacked how they could. Lumpy, Carl, Jack, and Jimmy held them off for as long as they could, but it was no use.

Seeming to come from heaven, a round of bullets struck the bugs nearest to them and more hit the others.

"Stay still!" Was the command that echoed from above, following the bullets.

It's not like the remaining three guys were going anywhere. Lumpy had been conquered by the mud-worms.

A rope dropped in and the three men were more than happy to return to the surface with their comrades.

\K/\K/\K/\K/\K/\K/\K/

Jimmy was the first to the top. "Captain!" He cried, rushing over to Alex, who had been propped against a tree. Her exposed body was almost covered in blood, save her face and neck, due to small bites. He was slightly ashamed to see her with such a small top on, but he was so worried that it didn't really matter. He hadn't known many girls in during his life on the _Venture._

"Hello, Jimmy," she said, smiling through the pain.

Jimmy was speechless.

Carl didn't care one way or the other what the ship's captain looked like, he was far more interested in the giant ape that had almost sent them to their doom. "Hey, Jack, you're on the wrong side," he mentioned.

Jack Driscoll turned around and looked at Carl. "I'm going to find Ann; leave the gates open for me."

"Will do buddy," Carl replied. "Just make sure you don't get hurt."

Jack nodded and disappeared into the trees.

"Okay, let's get back to the boat!" Said Alex, struggling to get to her feet. She looked around. "Wait, wasn't Hayes with you guys?"

There was no reply. Beside her, Jimmy turned away so that she couldn't see his face.

"Hayes," Carl said, "Hayes is dead."

Alex stayed motionless for the longest time. She had known that when she thought that she had seen her second-in-command, it had been when she was unconscious. In other words, a dream. The injury that she had thought she had was, in reality, little more than an overstretched muscle. Alex had thought herself extremely lucky that her hip had not been dislocated.

"Well," she said quietly. "Let's get back to the _Venture_. We have to be ready to set sail as soon as Jack gets back." Drawing her machete, she took a swipe at the thick group of vines in front of her. When she drew it back again, Alex felt something warm drip down her face from above.

_Great, dumb birds,_ she thought, reaching up to wipe it away. When she brought her hand back, though, it was covered in fresh blood... and she knew it wasn't her own.

**Man! Talk about a long chapter! And a great cliff hanger! But I never break my promises, and I promised a long chapter. :-p Who's blood do you think it is? I absolutely love feedback! Thank you MAKORI for your one review to keep this story going! It is a pity that you are the only one _reviewing_. Thank you for _reviewing_.**

**"Parting is such sweet sorrow,"--Willy Wonka, the ORIGINAL Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Review Darlings! Until next time!**

**KARA**


	5. A Costly Refusal

**Twisted**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kong, or any of the characters. Plain and Simple.**

**Quick Summary: My version of the newest movie with a couple twists.**

**Author's Note: I think I'm upping the rating because of the violence. Sorry if this chapter is a bit short.**

Chapter Five: A Costly Refusal

Alex Englehorn was genuinely frightened and confused for the first time that she had been with the crew of the _Venture_, or the _Venture_ herself. Sure, she had seen lots of blood before, but always she had known the origins of it. Alex's hand tingled as she stared, and she soon discovered that more of the sticky, red substance was dripping on her from above. Stepping back, Alex looked skyward. What she saw made her dizzy.

Hayes hung from the vines above her. A seemingly deep gash ran down his arm and blood was spilling out. _She _ had cut his arm.

"Captain, what's the matter? Why did you stop?" Asked Jimmy, coming up behind her. When he didn't get an answer, his eyes followed hers up into the trees.

"Hayes!" He exclaimed as he scrambled towards his friend. "No!"

Other men ran up and helped get him down as Jimmy reached Hayes. Alex couldn't move. She was stunned. While the guys brought Hayes down, she watched in silence.

"Captain!" Jimmy shouted, jumping down from the branches.

Startled, Alex tore past Jimmy and through the small crowd of men that was surrounding Hayes. Kneeling, she checked his pulse. It was steady. "I need something to stop the bleeding!" She said, spinning on her heel.

Jimmy immediately ripped off his shirt and threw it at Alex, who caught it and went to work carefully tearing and tying the fabric around the wounded arm.

"How are we going to get him back to the ship?" Asked Bruce as she finished.

"I think we're going to have to carry him, Baxter. Let's just hope we don't have any unexpected surprises along the way." Alex motioned to the nearest men to hoist Hayes onto their shoulders.

"But Captain," protested Jimmy. "What about Miss Darrow?"

"Jack is going to find her, I know it." Alex said, turning to face the young deckhand. "Don't you worry about it, Jimmy… you did good,"

Machete in hand, she sliced her way back through the vines. They reached a clearing about twenty minutes later and everyone was given a break. It was when she sat by the director that Alex noticed the scheming look on Carl's face.

"What is it, Carl?" She asked, sighing deeply.

Carl looked at her, his face lighting up with a plan. "You know what? My film was destroyed, but I know how I can still make money off of this."

By the look on his face, Alex knew that something wasn't right. "Uh, Carl? Whatever it is, I think the answer will be _no_."

"No, no, this is perfectly fine, Alex, perfectly fine. You know how you have those crates of Chlorophorm please tell me the correct way to spell this if anybody knows! in the hull of the _Venture_?"

"Yeah, but--!"

"When Jack brings Ann through those gates, the monkey will be right on their tails. And with that Chlorophorm... everyone could get a piece of the last unexplored place on the map for the price of an admission ticket."

Alex stared at Carl like he was nuts. "No way. And if you did manage to get that giant ape unconscious, how would we get it out to the ship? And better yet, how would we get back with the _Venture_ wallowing so low in the water? By the time we get out to sea, a storm is bound to stir up, and then we're right back where we started... except we won't have a ship, and more men will be dead!"

"Will another two grand do it?"

"No, and I'm beginning to think you never had any money in the first place. And you can't pay off men's lives, Carl. You can't put a price on that." Alex scowled. "You don't even have your checkbook with you!"

"Listen," Carl hissed. "You're right, I'm fresh out of money, but if I got this animal back to New York, I could give you whatever you want Miss Englehorn, and maybe more."

"I'm not interested in material things, Mr. Denham, and don't call me Miss. I don't care about how much you're willing to pay... it's not going to happen."

"Fine, _Englehorn_, I don't need your help with this!"

"What? Of course you need my help, _I'm _the captain!" Alex exclaimed, jumping to her feet.

"No," smirked Carl. "You're a _woman_."

Two sailors, her own men, came up behind her and grabbed her arms. Despite the fact that they were in great shape and she had a small handicap, Alex managed to wrestle the two men to the ground and pin them. She looked up just in time to see Carl swinging at her. A glass bottle crashed against her left temple, she assumed that it was one that previously was filled with some sort of liquor that Denham almost constantly drank. Soon after the hit, the back of her head struck solid ground, rendering her completely unconscious.

**Ooo, rebellion! What do you guys out there think? I know people are reading this and aren't reviewing! Thank you elvespiratesandcowboysohmy nice pen name, btw for reviewing! You guys are in for an interesting twist soon! Review Darlings! haha, you very funny elvespiratesandcowboysohmy **

**Until next time!**

**KARA**


	6. Unexpected Surprises

**Twisted**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kong, or any of the characters. Plain and Simple.**

**Quick Summary: My version of the newest movie with a couple twists.**

**Author's Note: Okay, dahlings, it is time! that was a little lame:-p**

Chapter Six: Unexpected Surprises

Alex awoke to a throbbing pain that spread out from her left temple to the rest of her head and the rising and falling of the _Venture _on the ocean. Her vision was blurred, so she couldn't quite see where she was, but according to the smell, she must have been in the animal cages.

Alex blinked and felt the left side of her face crack slightly accompanied by the small sting of a scab opening. Her eyesight became better as she continued to blink repeatedly. Despite the pain that got worse with every twitch, she had no clue as to what her condition was.

Then she remembered what had happened. Carl Denham had broken a liquor bottle with her face. Alex gritted her teeth as much as the pain would allow; he would pay for that. What about Hayes? What had they done with him? Not much probably, because he was unconscious with injuries that only God knew.

Mutiny. The single word echoed through her brain. They had done everything without her... everything? Who was steering the ship? None other than herself and Hayes were qualified for that! In her panic, another scab cracked and she felt a small amount of blood drip down the side of her face.

Then she did what she would have never dreamed of doing in front of the other sailors. Alex Englehorn cried. Hot tears fell over the newly opened wounds, stinging like never before. No sounds exited her mouth; her clenched teeth would not allow such a thing, but she didn't even attempt to stop the flow of salty tears from her eyes.

The sound of footsteps approaching placed her back into reality. The stream of tears had dried up a while ago, but the salt continued to irritate the large scratches.

"Alex?" Came a gentle voice; Ann Darrow.

Alex stood up and took one step forward to grasp the bars that were in front of her. "Ann?" She said her voice cracking.

Ann gasped when she saw the captain's face. "I heard it was bad, but... oh my gosh, Alex, you need help." She whispered.

"Ann," pleaded Alex. "You have to tell me what's happening."

"But your face--!"

"No, don't worry about that. Tell Jimmy to bring some Hydrogen Peroxide, lotion, and some bandages down here later... secretly. I want you to tell me everything that has happened since you got back."

Ann told everything that she knew to the imprisoned captain. Finally finishing with the fact that they managed to tear up the deck and make a spot for the gorilla, who the called Kong. King Kong. The Eighth Wonder of the World. The one major thing that Alex wanted to know about, though, was Hayes. They were practically brother and sister they were so close, but Ann knew nothing about his condition.

She left Alex in the semi-darkness of the cage. The Captain had pleaded for her to send Jimmy down soon, but Ann didn't know what she could do without somebody else finding out. The actress said that if anything, she would try to get Jack down to see her.

Hours passed like eternities in the small cell as Alex waited for some kind of action. Every rise and fall of the boat did nothing but worsen her headache, and now she would gratefully accept even the primitive Chlorophorm for a painkiller, although she knew that when, and if, she woke up, everything would be worse than it was before.

Finally, when night fell, light footsteps could be heard descending into the cargo hold. There was no light for Alex to see who her visitor was, but she assumed that she would find out soon enough.

"Captain!" Came a hiss though the darkness and Alex could see a slim sillhouette approaching.

"Jimmy!" She whispered, coming to the bars of the cage. Her fingers curled around the bars so tightly that her knuckles cracked in the strain.

The deckhand rushed to the cage and thrust a small bottle of peroxide and a towel through the bars. "Sorry I couldn't find any lotion,"

"That's completely okay, Jimmy," she placed the bottle in the towel and put it behind her. "Tell me what you know,"

Jimmy, like Ann, told her everything that he had seen. "And they say that Mr. Hayes has a lot of broken bones and if we don't find the mainland within a week he might die." The emotion in his voice was almost too much for the young captain to handle. The teenager was going through so much.

Alex reached through the bars and grabbed Jimmy's hand in both of hers. "Jimmy, you're a good kid, but I don't want you to worry about Mr. Hayes. He'll pull through,"

Jimmy looked up at Alex. "I know, it's just so hard..."

"Be brave Jimmy,"

There was silence as the captain pulled back into the cage and grabbed the small glass bottle and the towel.

"Captain?" Asked Jimmy quietly.

"Yes?"

"Before I go back up, I brought you a biscuit. Sorry it's kind of hard, but with Lumpy gone, not many people know how to cook..." the teen pulled out a sloppy-looking piece of bread and handed it to Alex through the bars.

"Thanks," she said, sounding a little disgusted. "But I guess it's the thought that counts, right?"

Jimmy gave a tired chuckle and headed quietly back up the steps.

Alex looked at the hard biscuit in one hand, then at the bottle in the other. She finally decided to eat first; cure one pain at a time, starting with taking the edge off the hunger that she hadn't even noticed before. The first bite was a little crunchy and hard to chew, but the second was a little easier. The third, though, came as a surprise.

As she bit down into the center of the biscuit, her teeth struck something solid and metallic tasting. Drawing away, she peered into the center of the bread to see something black.

"Ew," gagged Alex, trying not to imagine what it could be. She pulled it out with her thumb and forefinger, squinting in the dark to try to make out the shape.

It was a key.

**SURPRISE! A KEY! I bet your thinking, wow, a key, so what? Okay, maybe not, but that key is important! Thank you elvespiratesandcowboysohmy for the wonderful review! Review now, darlings!**

**Until Next Time!**

**KARA**


	7. Breaking Out

**Twisted**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kong, or any of the characters. Plain and Simple.**

**Quick Summary: My version of the newest movie with a couple twists.**

**Author's Note: Whoa, _3 _reviews! I am so pumped! I am pumped enough to type the next chapter quickly and put it out for all ya'll to read! Enjoy DARLINGS!**

Chapter Seven: Breaking Out

Little innocent Jimmy had left her the way out. She _knew_ it was the key to the cell; what else would it be? There were no other doors in the small cage that required a key... and the other cages were beyond her reach. Why would she unlock the other cages anyway? Alex didn't care, she licked her lips excitedly and shivered as a rush of adrenaline surged through her body.

Once she got out of there, she would make sure that he got better than he was getting now. She would also find out who locked her down here and who was in charge now and severely punish them.

Alex placed the key in her pants pocket and crammed the rest of the lumpy bread in her mouth; chewing hastily. It was still night, and if she got out, then maybe she could find the strength to drag Carl Denham down to this cell and lock him in. No--she knew she could, but there was one thing she had to do first.

Taking the key back out, she put it in between her teeth and opened the peroxide that Jimmy had brought. This was going to hurt. It was going to hurt a lot. She poured a fair amount on the towel and squeezed her eyes shut as the liquid and the towel came in contact with her face wound.

A small whimper exited her mouth as her teeth clamped down on the metal of the key and pain blossomed throughout the left side of her face, making her eyes water. Soon, it was numb and she removed the soaked towel. It showed a dark stain. _Probably dry blood_, she thought to herself. How would she know if her cheek was still bleeding or not? And there wasn't enough light to see if the blood was old or new. Either way, she flipped the towel and poured a little more peroxide on it; repeating the dabbing process.

Once she started to get dizzy from the numbing pain, Alex stopped. She took the key out of her mouth and reached through the bars and pushed the key in the keyhole. Alex heard it click and she was able to push the door open. Good thing the hinges were oiled, even though nobody would probably hear it in the first place.

The young captain crept out into the hallway and up the steps; listening all the while for approaching footsteps. She stopped when she entered the hallway with the passenger cabins. It was night, and Alex assumed that everyone was asleep... everyone except whoever was steering this boat. Actually, she _hoped_ that Carl Denham was sound asleep so that she could sneak in there and tie him up without a struggle. Alex grinned as the image entered her head. She imagined the portly director waking up to find that his hands and feet were bound and a gag had placed itself neatly in his mouth.

Her first mistake was trying to smother the laugh that rose in her throat, which came out as a half cough, half snort followed by deep sighing sound. Her hand stopped most of the sound, but her unluckiness on this trip ceased to amaze her. She had stopped right outside Bruce Baxter's door.

Her second mistake was running. Sure, she knew this ship like the back of her hand, but knowledge didn't muffle the sound of her footsteps and the bang of Bruce's door as he exited his room to see what was going on. _That _was followed by other doors opening and confused shouts behind her. She snarled and took the steps to the deck three at a time.

Alex ran as fast as she could across the slippery deck without falling and leaped up the steps to the wheel house. The person she saw surprised her so much that she almost stepped back out.

\K/\K/\K/\K/\K/\K/\K/

Bruce Baxter awoke to the sound of quiet footsteps outside his door, then a snorting sound. At least, he thought it was a snort. The actor climbed out of his cot/bed and leaped to the door. Throwing it open, he heard the footsteps echoing away down the hallway to his right.

"Carl!" He shouted, running to the closest room on his left. "Carl, wake up!"

Bruce pounded on the door until it opened, revealing a disheveled Carl Denham. By then, Jack Driscol and Ann Darrow had opened their doors also to see what the commotion was.

"What is it, Bruce?" Denham asked, squinting in the light of the hallway.

Bruce looked down the hallway one way, and then the other. "Didn't you hear that?"

"Hear what, man?"

"The... the noise! There was somebody out here!"

"Baxter, you were probably dreaming. It's..." Carl glanced at his watch. "Two in the morning,"

Bruce sighed, an _I-can't-believe-you-don't-believe-me_ look crossing his face. "Fine, if you're not coming to investigate, I'll go by myself." He huffed.

"Whatever," Carl sighed, disappearing behind the door as it shut slowly in Baxter's face.

Bruce ran down the hallway to his room, strapping on his hand gun that he had brought with him, but he had never thought, and still hoped, that he never had to use it. He walked confidently down the hallway and up onto the deck where the traces of a wave washed around his boots.

He climbed the ladder to the wheel house. _That's _where his instincts told him to go. That is where the person who woke him would be.

\K/\K/\K/\K/\K/\K/\K/

Alex Englehorn stood in the doorway of the wheel house; shocked. At the wheel of the _Venture_ was Preston with a bandage across his face.

"P-P-Preston?" She stuttered.

The director's assistant, startled, spun toward Alex. "Captain...!"

"What...? How! Why are you steering my ship!" She exclaimed, walking farther into the room.

"Well... um--"

"What happened to your face?"

"I--"

"Preston!" Came a sharp voice.

Alex swallowed as the cold barrel of a gun brushed the back of her neck to prove the seriousness of the voice.

Preston swallowed hard too, looking past Alex at Bruce Baxter, who had suddenly realized that he might have to use that gun after all.

**Ahaha! _Three reviews!_ That's so extreme for this story. I am on a review HIGH. Is this not cool? This is _so_ cool. Sorry, I'm just a little excited. Thanks elvespiratesandcowboysohmy, SPINORAPTOR, and Stroppy-Teenager for reviewing... I love you ALL! Review just a bit dolls, and I'll be so happy!**

**Until Next Time, all!**

**KARA**


	8. Close Calls

**Twisted**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kong, or any of the characters. Plain and Simple.**

**Quick Summary: My version of the newest movie with a couple twists.**

**Author's Note: We are getting very near to the end. I'm still pondering on the idea whether or not I should do a sequel or not.**

Chapter Eight: Close Calls

"Watch where you're driving this thing, Preston, keep your eyes on that thing... that you need to steer with. We don't want to crash." Bruce muttered.

"Watch where you're pointing that gun, Bruce. We wouldn't want somebody to get hurt." Mumbled Preston, his eyes going back to the darkness through the windshield.

"What!"

"Nothing," Preston stuttered; his hands clutching the wheel so hard that his knuckles paled.

"That's what I thought."

"Now, Bruce, put the gun down," Alex said, her hands coming up slowly.

"No, _Alex_, I think you're supposed to be down with the giant monkey."

Alex's face distorted into a look of confusion. She whipped around, and grabbed the gun and Baxter's arm; twisting both toward the ceiling.

The pistol sent one bullet shooting wildly into the metal cabin roof, startling Preston into throwing himself onto the cold floor. Alex grunted as she twisted Bruce's arm into an uncomfortable angle. He cried out, but didn't release the gun.

"Monkey! Monkey! Baxter, you've got that _all _wrong!" She gritted her teeth and twisted his arm a little more, but he still wouldn't let go.

"Alex! Stop!" Came a shout from the open doorway of the wheel house.

Alex release Bruce's arm just enough for the actor to escape her grasp. He whipped around so his back was toward the entrance. Jack Driscol stood there with Ann staring over his shoulder.

The silver of the pistol glinted as it was whipped up so that it poked the female captain in the chest.

"I'm not going to be sorry about this," he said as he pulled the trigger.

A sudden strong push knocked Alex out of the line of fire. The bullet hit the wall behind her, barely missing her rescuer. Preston stood there; his bandage had started to peel off to reveal a large welt on his cheek. The bullet had missed his shoulder by fractions of an inch.

Jack Driscol dove in the room and tackled Baxter to the floor. The six-shooter flew out of his hand and skittered across the floor to rest at Alex's feet. She bent over and picked it up, quickly and expertly emptying it of the remaining bullets.

"So," she cooed, kneeling in front of the struggling under Jack's knee that had been placed between his shoulder blades. "Who's gonna stay with the monkey now?"

Bruce sneered and spat at the captain.

"I do believe that's called mutiny." She quipped. "Jack," she looked up at the writer. "Would you like the honor of taking this traitor to the animal suite?"

Jack nodded and pulled Bruce up by the back of the arms. Alex was surprised that the writer was stronger than the actor, but it didn't matter, just as long as Baxter was locked up.

She turned and looked her savior who had sunken to the floor behind her and offered a hand down to him. "Preston? Can I trust you to steer this ship until I take care of what I need to take care of?"

The man nodded and took it, using it to pull himself to his feet. "Yes, Captain, you can,"

Alex gave him a gentle smile and walked out of the cabin. The night was cold and she could feel the humidity of rain approaching from the west. Ann stopped her by the arm.

"How'd you get out?" Was her first question. "And why is that scab open?"

Alex reached up and timidly put a hand on the open wound. Now she could feel the warm blood slowly dripping down the side of her face; and it hurt. Her fingertips showed the proof that the scab had actually opened with the peroxide.

"I'll tell you later," the young captain explained. "Where's Carl Denham?"

Ann sighed. "Down in his bedroom; I think he's still sleeping."

Alex brushed past her and down back into the hallway that contained the cabins. "Which one?" She asked, turning a little to talk to Ann.

Ann pointed to the one on their right. Alex couldn't help but smile. It was about time that Carl Denham got what he had coming; what goes around comes around.

"Karma," Alex mumbled absently.

"Excuse me?" Asked Ann; startled by the sudden noise.

"Nothing," Alex walked as silently as she could to the door and slowly grasped the handle. It wouldn't turn. She pressed her weight against the door and turned the brass handle with both hands; still nothing. Denham must have heard her and is holding the door!

"Um..." said Ann, shuffling up behind the captain.

"Not now," hissed Alex as she leaned on the door. The wood of the door had started to bow under the pressure, and creaked softly as she let up for a second before trying the handle again.

"Alex,"

"I said, not now!"

"The door's locked,"

"Ann! Quiet, please--wait, what did you say?"

"Uh, the door's locked,"

Alex looked down at the handle that still rested in her hand; that made perfect sense. Now, if Denham wasn't awake before, he would be now. She cursed under her breath.

Suddenly, the handle started moving against her palm; startling her. Alex backed away from the door as it opened, revealing a very tired looking Carl Denham.

"Captain!" He said sharply before retreating back into his room and locking the door once more.

"Why didn't you grab him?" Ann asked.

"Well, his room can become his prison for now. As long as he knows that I'm going to be out here waiting for him, he won't come out. Plus, I'm sure he has some kind of food supply in there." Alex smirked; turning to face the actress. "And if he doesn't... then, well, he shouldn't have locked me up in the cages! I bet he could live for a while on that fat of his; wouldn't hurt him to loose a couple pounds. Now, which room is Hayes'?"

**There ya go, darlings, another chapter. Sorry it took me so long to get it up... I've been busy, and I need to update all my stories. **

**Thank you Stroppy-Teenager and elvespiratesandcowboysohmy for reviewing! Wow...**

**Review soon, darlings! LUV YOU ALL!**

**KARA TEZLA**


	9. Memories

**Twisted**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kong, or any of the characters. Plain and Simple.**

**Quick Summary: My version of the newest movie with a couple twists.**

**Author's Note: None.**

Chapter Nine: Memories

"Now, which room is Hayes'?" Asked Alex; turning to Ann.

Ann Darrow glanced down the hallway then at Alex. "Down, to the left, and the first door on the right," she directed.

Alex nodded in thanks and ran off down the hallway. She had to see Hayes before he was able to walk again, or even stand for that matter. If he got out of his room before she got to him... she wouldn't be able to explain _anything_. Hayes, being the sensible man that he was, wouldn't believe that Carl Denham had thrown her into a cage _and_ had captured Kong _and_ had taken over the ship. It just wasn't something that he would believe.

Hayes had known Alex since she was a little girl, and it was partially his fault that she became the _Venture_'s captain so young. The story briefly flashed through Alex's mind as she approached her first mate's room.

_"Mister Hayes?" Asked an eleven-year-old Alex Englehorn while tugging at the man's sleeve. Her beautiful long brown hair hung around her shoulders over a simple white dress. Big brown eyes peered up at him from a height of four foot eleven._

_"Yes, Allie?" Replied a stunningly handsome young Hayes; looking down at her. _

_"Where are you going?"_

_Hayes looked away from her; how could he tell her? "Well, I'm going sailing for a while." _

_"How long, Mister Hayes? How long will you be gone?"_

_"For a while, Allie,"_

_"But... Mister Hayes... what about--"_

_"I'm sorry Allie," he said softly, turning to her and crouching to her height. He took off the brand new sailor's hat that he was wearing and placed it on her head. "Keep this… keep it until I come back, Allie. I need it back when you get older, so if I don't come back--come looking for me. But only when you're older will I need it, so don't come for me before then. Okay?"_

_The young girl's eyes were tearing up. "Okay, Mister Hayes, I will,"_

_"Do you promise?"_

_"I promise, Mister Hayes,"_

_The sixteen-year-old African American stood again. It broke his heart to see her cry, but he didn't have a choice. It was either sailing or trying to scrounge up a good job in the city; which for a black person wasn't all that easy, especially after the Civil War like this. _

_"Come back soon," she sobbed; clinging to his torso like a little animal. "Come back, Mister Hayes,"_

Of course, Hayes hadn't come back for six years, and Alex had gone looking for him--with her own ship and crew. By the time she had found him, the Great Depression was in getting into full force and more and more people were getting kicked out onto the streets and jobs were hard to find. Her parents moved farther west looking for a less "crowded" life. Alex stayed in New York, determined to wait for Hayes if it killed her.

When Alex finally found him, she bailed him out of the navy and brought him back to New York. They decided together that they didn't want to follow her parents back west, so they stayed on the ocean and captured exotic animals for money. Which led them to where they were now.

Alex had finally arrived at her friend's door; excited and nervous at the same time. If she didn't tell him what happened now, then...

She didn't want to think about what would happen. As her fingers closed around the door handle, it seemed as if a small electric current ran through it and spiked her adrenaline. Now the fear was gone and she was completely ready for whatever was there.

Opening the door the rest of the way, she stepped into the room and shut the door behind her. She tiptoed quietly across the room, pulled up a chair beside the bed and watched Hayes' chest rise and fall with every breath. It was the first time since this King Kong fiasco started that she had actually seen him calm, even though he was sleeping.

The room had fallen silent, and it was extremely awkward for Alex, since she was used to the normal noise of an active ship. Just for some noise, she sighed loudly to the darkness. A little too loudly.

"Alex?" A soft whisper cut through the silence like a knife, completely and utterly surprising the young captain. Hayes was awake.

Alex had become speechless for the first time in a long time. What was she supposed to say? _I had "accidentally" sighed, sorry I woke you up_? Or maybe, _hey, how'd you get stuck in the trees_? Even, _sorry I cut your arm open, I wasn't looking where I was swinging my machete_ sounded horribly bad.

"Allie?"

The brunette was shocked by the sudden use of her childhood nickname. Now finding the right words was even harder.

"What happened?"

Alex didn't know what to do any more, and, again, she found tears streaming down her face unchecked. _Why am I crying? I am NOT going soft! I can't cry--no!_ She screamed inwardly, angrily brushing away the tears.

"Alex, tell me," Hayes' voice was stronger now, as if he could almost sense the tears and feared the worst. "Tell me, I need to know,"

Alex finally pulled herself together, took a deep breath and told Hayes everything, staring at where they had to rescue Jimmy, Carl, and Jack from the giant canyon-like pit.

"Mutiny, it was, all mutiny..." she mumbled toward the end of the story.

"Are you hurt?" Asked Hayes; finding her hand and taking it in the dark. Alex figured it was his good hand.

She reached up with her other hand but refrained from touching the sore wound. "I guess you could say that,"

"Who? How did it happen?"

Alex took a deep breath. "Carl Denham smashed a bottle of alcohol across the left side of my face. I have no idea if it was full or not."

"So he was the one leading the rebellion, huh?"

"Pretty sure,"

"Who's driving the ship if you're in here?"

"Preston,"

"He knows how?"

"Yeah, I was pretty surprised too."

"Wow, I guess they all have more talents than we thought. What happened to Denham and Baxter?"

"Oh, Jack took Bruce down to the cages in the brig and I sorta locked Carl in his own room. I don't think he'll be able to get out without somebody seeing him and alerting me or somebody trustworthy."

"Right,"

"I'd better be going now; it has to be getting close to dawn and I'm going to want to get back up and steer the ship."

"I want to go with you."

"What?"

"I want to go with you, Alex."

"No, you shouldn't, you're in no shape to do anything like that."

"I want to, Alex; I'm tired of just laying here."

"But you're laying here for a good reason!"

"I don't care," Hayes grunted as she felt him sit up in the bed.

"Hayes!"

Ales let go of his hand and pushed the stool aside so he didn't trip over it. She took his arm--hoping it was the right one.

"Ouch!" Cried Hayes; drawing back.

"Sorry!" Alex walked around him and took his other arm, leading him to the door. "Are you sure you want to do this?" She asked.

"Yes," said Hayes confidently.

Alex swallowed and reached for the door; to think that _she _wasn't the one ready for this...

**Sorry that took a little while to get out. We're almost done. Thanks to my reviewer--Stroppyteenager! What happened to the rest of you, darlings? I'm beginning to become worried!**

**Until next time, all!**

**KTez**


	10. Carl, You Wrote Nine Grand

**Twisted**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kong, or any of the characters. Plain and Simple.**

**Quick Summary: My version of the newest movie with a couple twists.**

**Author's Note: Ah! I got side-tracked with another story--sorry. But this is it! Last chapter!**

Chapter Ten: Carl, You Wrote Nine-Grand

Alex swung the door open and stepped into the hall, pulling the limping first mate after her. "You think you can make it up the steps?" She asked Hayes.

"I imagine so,"

The young captain brought him up the steps, one at a time. It was squishy, but they finally made it to the top the sun was peeking over the horizon, casting a yellow glow over the water.

"Watch out, the deck is... slick..." Alex looked down, expecting to see the water-coated deck, but instead, there was a gaping hole. It was hard to think she had missed it in the dark. What if she had taken a wrong step? Alex didn't want to even think about it.

"What is that?" Hayes asked.

"A hole... so _that's_ where they put him!"

"Who?"

"That cretin Denham is bringing that gorilla back."

"And you haven't seen this before?"

"No,"

"How long has it been since I was brought here?"

Alex looked at her friend and gulped. "A couple days,"

"And you haven't noticed _this_? Where have _you _been?"

"Um, with you?"

"Right, Al, a couple days? How would you live? And Denham did _that_?" He pointed to her face.

Alex's hand rushed to her face, momentarily forgetting her injury. "...Yes, and remember I told you what happened! I was down in the cages for a day, then I had to sneak out, and I didn't come up until it was dark, anyway. I never saw it! I'm surprised I didn't fall!"

Hayes, nudged her around the hole and out to the front of the ship, where he held onto the railing with his good hand.

"Are you good?" Alex asked, her hand lightly brushing his shoulder.

"Yeah, I think,"

"I'm going to go see how Preston's doing, okay?"

"I'm not a child, Alex, I'll be fine."

Alex raised an eyebrow, and then headed to the wheel house where Preston was. Hayes looked after her; it was hard for him to imagine that she used to be the little girl that she was. Somewhere beneath that tough sea-weathered cover that she put up, he knew that the little compassionate, loving girl that he knew was still there.

"Preston!" Alex called.

She stepped into the small cabin and walked behind Preston, checking all the gauges and meters. "Where are we headed?"

"Back to New York... Times Square," he said with a determined tone in his voice.

"Really?"

"Yes,"

"Then I would turn a little bit more west before we hit Newfoundland."

\K/\K/\K/\K/\K/\K/\K/

A month later, they pulled into the harbor near New York City. Many of the sailors told their captain that if they were "going on any more adventures, to count them out". Alex rolled her eyes at this, did they think that she planned on getting half her crew killed and more than half of the rest injured? Most certainly not.

Then she got the invitation to go see the giant monkey herself; the first showing and everything. The whole crew did. She smiled at the small shiny card. Carl Denham owed her; big time. He owed her a whopping four grand, plus the original fee; and that didn't make up for the injury, mutiny, and the destruction of her ship.

Of course she was going to go.

She treated Hayes and Jimmy to a small shopping spree, because they all needed new clothes. She even bought Jimmy a new book, since his was lost, quite possibly forever.

Alex paid Carl a visit to get her money, and she got it. Five thousand for her services, another thousand for leaving early, two more thousand for bringing Kong on her ship, and he even gave her another generous thousand for the damage; a total of nine thousand dollars. She sent some of it back to her family in the West. She spread most of it among the crew; the ones who had died she sent the money to his family. She did not include the film crew.

In the end, she had only had a thousand to herself after shopping. The next night was the big show, too.

\K/\K/\K/\K/\K/\K/\K/

"Alexandra," Hayes gasped.

"Don't call me that!" scolded Alex, her hands moving to her hips.

"You look... stunning, Captain!" exclaimed Jimmy, coming out of the bathroom of her apartment.

"Yes, you do," breathed Hayes.

She wore a slim light blue dress with shimmering embroidery. A simple silver necklace and matching bracelets and light blue shoes completed the outfit. Alex never liked gold, and she had never gotten her ears pierced. It was very plain, but elegant. Her light brown hair hung around her shoulders in extremely loose curls, and was adorned by a single silver hair pin.

Hayes wore a black tux, and without a sailor's hat, he looked and felt awkward. Jimmy, on the other hand, was the exact opposite. His tux was a little more causal than Hayes', and it fit Jimmy perfectly.

He popped the collar of the white undershirt and smiled. "Are we ready?"

Alex rolled her eyes. "Yes," she said, laughing.

The threesome walked down the street, amazed at the crowds of people flocking to the theater in Times Square. In truth, they felt a little under-dressed.

Entering the closest door into the theater, they found themselves in the presence of many famous people. Carl Denham was on the far side of the room with the men from Universal Studios getting his picture taken. They saw Preston on the upper level and waved; he invited them up.

"I'd never think to see you here after what happened." he said, shaking their hands.

"Likewise, Preston, I thought you were smart enough to get away from Denham." Alex commented with a grin.

"I was, but I want to be there when this thing blows up in his face."

"What makes you so sure it'll be tonight?"

"It's opening night, and I don't know how that giant animal's going to react to all these people. My best bet would be on tonight."

"I'm glad I came!" exclaimed Jimmy, "I didn't--don't like Carl."

Alex grinned at Jimmy and offered an arm to each of her dates. "Shall we?"

"Let's!" Jimmy beamed.

"Enjoy the show," Preston opened the door to the auditorium so they could enter.

The three sailors found seats near the back and sat while a river of elegantly dressed people flooded into the room, chatting loudly about the show. When everybody had found their seats, Carl Denham walked on the stage, nodding and thanking everyone in the spotlight.

"This is boring," whispered Jimmy in Alex's ear. She put a hand up to shush him as the curtain opened.

There, under the bright lights of the stage, was the giant ape that had changed her life. Gasps of wonder and awe filled the room. Denham reassured the crowd that the gorilla was harmless and the chains were solid chrome-steel. Hayes gripped the arms of his chair; something was definitely wrong here. He lied, saying that Bruce Baxter had saved Ann, and that he never mentioned once the _Venture_ or her crew. It was as if all the lives and risks that the adventure had taken didn't matter.

Then Carl started the play. As soon as Alex saw the look on Kong's face, she knew that Preston was right. This was a disaster. She ushered Hayes and Jimmy out of the theater just in time. Less than a minute later, a giant mob of people poured out of the theater, followed by King Kong, Carl Denham's uncontainable eighth wonder.

Alex, Jimmy, and Hayes watched the scene on the Empire State Building from the roof of her apartment.

"All that for nothing," muttered Hayes, "we brought that monkey back so he could kill himself at the cost of more than ten human lives."

"You got that right, and I hope Carl suffers for this." Alex said.

She was right, a week later, Carl was thrown in jail for damage to public property, not paying his bills, and running from the police.

**THE END**

**Any final opinions? Questions? Suggestions? Feel absolutely free to put in a final review...**

**Kara Tezla**


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